Smoking Out The Bandits

[OGRE MAGE]

Okay, lets try this again over here now.


After being robbed twice already, a budding group is ready to head out and deal with this bandit threat straight away.

After spending another day resting in the Keep, the party awakens with the intentions of heading back out towards the forest where they will attempt to figure out a way to get either past the bandits on another path, or end their highwayman empire entirely.

The growing crew is content to bring a couple of others along with them this time, the entire team consisting of:

Crabgrass
Crobeus
Dredd
Dubricus
Meinhardt
Magdal
Pimlan
Renna
Skratch
Stobart



As the groups proud leader, Dubricus has a few words to say before departing.

"Once again I am happy to be leading all of you to possible fame and fortune. And at the very least, we rid this area of the horrible threat of those awful bandits."

"I will vouch for everyone with Sabine at the gates, so that we may pass through uninterrupted. I trust that everyone is prepared and has everything they will need with them? We cant have anyone running back because they forgot their favorite hankerchief or some such nonsense."

Unless there is something specific one of you wishes to do at the Front Gates, we can bypass that thread and get rolling here.

[Stirling]

Crabgrass

Is ready with all he needs.

[Quonundrum]

Meinhardt


Ready to go.

[shaidar]

Stobart is ready.

[Scott308]

Crobeus

Let's bounce.

[GreyWolfVT]

Pimlan is ready.

[gurusql]

Renna

Renna is buzzing with excitement oh wrong thread, Renna is ready to go.

[Darithe]

Magdal

Magdal follows Dubricus anxious to be gone at first light.

[hedgeknight]

Dredd

The Half-Orc is ready and feeling better than he has in days. Once he gets his weapons at the gate, he's ready for some payback!

[grokkngrognard]

Ready!

[OGRE MAGE]

Thank you all for your patience.

Returning To The Scene
First Light, Clear

Dubricus leads the group through the front gates, watching as they gather their stored weapons from the guards stationed there without incident. Once outside the gates, he speaks loudly as the group makes their way down the road towards the forest where they met up with the bandits.

"I believe we have a very well rounded party here today, and with my leadership skills, we should have no problems whatsoever routing out these dangerous bandits."

Before anyone has a chance to mention that he probably shouldn't be speaking so loud at this time of the morning, he continues.

"Now, I feel it is of utmost importance to make certain we are in the correct formation if and when we encounter trouble out here. Therefore, I would suggest we keep the sneaky folks towards the front with a couple of good fighters intermixed. We less armored types will serve better from the middle ranks, while another few swords should bring up the rear of the formation."

"I of course will do the talking once we encounter anyone out here, but I expect to be protected at all costs as losing the leader of any group could cause catastrophic results."

An overhead hawk or eagle suddenly cries out with a harmless shrill shriek that fills the slowly brightening skies, causing a startled reaction from Dubricus.

"Oh dear gods what was that?"

As the forest appears on the horizon, Renna points the way towards the alternate path she suggested on the map.

Actions?

Crabgrass
Crobeus
Dredd
Dubricus
Meinhardt
Magdal
Pimlan
Renna
Skratch
Stobart

Do you have a preferred marching order?

AreaAroundKeep_2.png (518.78 KiB) Viewed 187 times

[Darithe]

Magdal

Being inexperienced in such things, Magdal will wait to see where their leader wishes her to be placed in the marching order. While she waits, she studies the ground around them.

[Quonundrum]

Meinhardt


He stays in his current position in the middle rank. In response to Dubricus's exclamation, he offers helpfully, "That was just a bird ... although probably not of the man eating variety."

[GreyWolfVT]

Pimlan "I think it was an eagle sir. Unless you are a rabbit or small game I don't think you need worry." he says calmly in reply to the leader's question.

[Stirling]

Crabgrass

Crabgrass: Intelligence 14 vs check [1d20]=9

Studies the bird of prey's flypast and swoop. I want to note if it actually circles above us and flies away or just coincidentally flies by.

I guess my paranoid nature tends to think such inclusions in any narrative are not always just 'fluff' but as Crabgrass is supposedly a scholar/mage, he might actually suspect such a bird could be a Familiar or trained animal companion. What better for a rogue group than have eyes and ears upon the comings and goings from the Keep so that they can time their toll bribery rather than just waiting around in hope until suckers show up.

So, I will watch the hawk until it flies out of view.

[gurusql]

Renna

"As Dubricus recommends.

Magdal
Crobeus
Pimlan
Dubricus
Crabgrass
Meinhardt
Renna
Skratch
Stobart
Dredd "

[hedgeknight]

Dredd

The Half-Orc frowns at the outburst from Dubricus, and then assumes his usual position at the back of the line.

[Scott308]

Thank you all for your patience.

Patience? Man, I was bored on Sunday afternoon so I kept checking the see if there were any updates.

Crobeus - Human Paladin

Raising an eyebrow at their "leader" when he gets startled by the raptor, the paladin nevertheless steps into the requested marching order. Fortunately, Renna has a decent head on her shoulders and is less likely to get them all killed than this ultracrepidarian that has joined their group.

[shaidar]

Stobart joins Dredd near the back of the line.

[OGRE MAGE]

Thanks again for allowing me time to game in between gaming, everyone.
I love seeing words I need to look up.

Returning To The Scene
Early Morning, Clear

Crabgrass wisely keeps an eye on the distant bird of prey that startled the groups leader so, wondering if there is more to it than meets the eye. When it swoops down from its perch to grab up an unsuspecting field mouse, carrying it up to its tree to eat, the perfectly natural actions of the eagle do little else to rouse the suspicions of the party. Magdal assures the elf that this majestic creature isn't actually watching them at all, far more concerned with today's breakfast. Great thought though!

Dubricus still appears a bit apprehensive but his words exude nothing but confidence. "Yes then. Let us sneak up to those trees and make our way towards those pesky bandits."

After a good look around on the ground, the outdoorsy types find little in the way of traffic in this area. There are no unnatural prints in the grassy field, and no signs of wagon tracks or other activity in this area.

Dubricus eventually falls silent as the group enters the forest led by their Ranger. Bushwhacking through the undergrowth isn't exactly quiet work, but the forest here is not so thick to make travel through it overly difficult. After another hour or so passes, the group thinks they have reached the spot directly north of the bandits log barricade area. Other than the normal activity of the forest, there are no out of place sounds or smells here.

Actions?

Magdal
Crobeus
Pimlan
Dubricus
Crabgrass
Meinhardt
Renna
Skratch
Stobart
Dredd